Yu Dongyue
Encyclopedia
Yu Dongyue is a former Chinese journalist
imprisoned for almost 17 years in China
, for throwing paint-filled eggs onto the large portrait of Mao Zedong
on Tiananmen Gate in Beijing
during the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989
.
News in Hunan
. In May 1989, he went by train to Beijing
with two other men, Yu Zhijian , a school teacher, and Lu Decheng
, a truck mechanic. They planned to join the ongoing demonstrations calling for democracy in China
. They decided to make a disturbance that would readily be captured by news media then reporting on events in Tiananmen
Square. Yu Dongyue, a graduate of the Department of Art at Xiangtan
Teachers College, Hunan
, was 21 years old at the time.
On May 23, the three men threw eggs that had been emptied and refilled with red, blue and yellow paint at the large portrait of Mao Zedong
displayed prominently near Tiananmen
Square. Splatters of paint landed on the face and shirt of the People's Republic of China's
founding leader. According to news reports, other demonstrators seized the three men and turned them over to police.
.
All three men were held at Lingling Prison in Dong'an county, Hunan
, one of China's many "Labor Camps
." During their time at this prison, news reports appeared saying that the three men had been treated brutally after making "reactionary statements." Lu Decheng was freed in 1999 after 10 years. Yu Zhijian was freed in 2000 after 11 years.
Yu Dongyue was later transferred to Chishan Prison in Yuanjiang
city, Hunan
, formerly known as Provincial No. 1 Prison and another of the "Labor Camps
." After their release, Lu Decheng and Yu Zhijian reported that Yu Dongyue appeared injured and mentally disturbed. They repeatedly petitioned for his release on medical grounds. Reportedly, Yu Dongyue was uncooperative in the views of prison officials. There have been several reports that he was tortured and held for at least two years in solitary confinement.
In 2001 Yu Dongyue's sentence was reduced by two years, and in 2005 it was reduced by another 15 months. Scheduled for release on February 26, 2006, he was freed four days earlier. According to statements around the time of his release from his younger brother, Yu Xiyue, while in prison Yu Dongyue appeared deranged and no longer recognized members of his family or his former friends.
Yu Dongyue was not forgotten while in prison. In 2005 the Wei Jingsheng Foundation, established in honor of a well known Democracy Wall
activist now living in the United States, awarded Yu Dongyue one of its three prizes of the year for promotion of democracy in China
.
in the United States after fleeing to Thailand
.
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
imprisoned for almost 17 years in China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, for throwing paint-filled eggs onto the large portrait of Mao Zedong
Mao Zedong
Mao Zedong, also transliterated as Mao Tse-tung , and commonly referred to as Chairman Mao , was a Chinese Communist revolutionary, guerrilla warfare strategist, Marxist political philosopher, and leader of the Chinese Revolution...
on Tiananmen Gate in Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
during the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989
Tiananmen Square protests of 1989
The Tiananmen Square protests of 1989, also known as the June Fourth Incident in Chinese , were a series of demonstrations in and near Tiananmen Square in Beijing in the People's Republic of China beginning on 15 April 1989...
.
Role in Tiananmen Square protests
Yu Dongyue was formerly a fine arts editor with LiuyangLiuyang
Liuyang is a county-level city in Changsha, the capital of Hunan province in China. Liuyang is well known for its fireworks industry. It has an area of 5,008 square kilometres and a population of 1,380,000 as of 2003....
News in Hunan
Hunan
' is a province of South-Central China, located to the south of the middle reaches of the Yangtze River and south of Lake Dongting...
. In May 1989, he went by train to Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
with two other men, Yu Zhijian , a school teacher, and Lu Decheng
Lu Decheng
Lu Decheng was born in Liuyang, Hunan Province of China. He is best known for his role in the "Egg Washing" of Mao’s portrait in Tiananmen Square, along with two friends, Yu Dongyue and Yu Zhijian during the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989. The three men were caught by students and workers in the...
, a truck mechanic. They planned to join the ongoing demonstrations calling for democracy in China
Chinese democracy movement
The Chinese democracy movement refers to a series of loosely organized political movements in the People's Republic of China against the continued one-party rule by the Communist Party. One such movement began during the Beijing Spring in 1978 and was taken up again in the Tiananmen Square...
. They decided to make a disturbance that would readily be captured by news media then reporting on events in Tiananmen
Tiananmen
The Tiananmen, Tian'anmen or Gate of Heavenly Peace is a famous monument in Beijing, the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is widely used as a national symbol. First built during the Ming Dynasty in 1420, Tian'anmen is often referred to as the front entrance to the Forbidden City...
Square. Yu Dongyue, a graduate of the Department of Art at Xiangtan
Xiangtan
Xiangtan is a city in China's Hunan Province that is located on the lower reaches of Xiang river. The hometowns of several founding leaders of the Chinese Communist Party, including Mao Zedong, Liu Shaoqi, and Peng Dehuai are in the Xiangtan Municipal District, as well as the hometowns of Qing...
Teachers College, Hunan
Hunan
' is a province of South-Central China, located to the south of the middle reaches of the Yangtze River and south of Lake Dongting...
, was 21 years old at the time.
On May 23, the three men threw eggs that had been emptied and refilled with red, blue and yellow paint at the large portrait of Mao Zedong
Mao Zedong
Mao Zedong, also transliterated as Mao Tse-tung , and commonly referred to as Chairman Mao , was a Chinese Communist revolutionary, guerrilla warfare strategist, Marxist political philosopher, and leader of the Chinese Revolution...
displayed prominently near Tiananmen
Tiananmen
The Tiananmen, Tian'anmen or Gate of Heavenly Peace is a famous monument in Beijing, the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is widely used as a national symbol. First built during the Ming Dynasty in 1420, Tian'anmen is often referred to as the front entrance to the Forbidden City...
Square. Splatters of paint landed on the face and shirt of the People's Republic of China's
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
founding leader. According to news reports, other demonstrators seized the three men and turned them over to police.
Imprisonment
The three men were arrested and charged with "counterrevolutionary sabotage, propaganda and incitement." Trials were soon held, and in August, 1989, they were all sentenced to long prison terms. Lu Decheng was sentenced to life in prison, Yu Dongyue to 20 years and Yu Zhijian to 16 years. These were said to be among the harshest prison sentences meted out to demonstrators arrested during the 1989 protestsTiananmen Square protests of 1989
The Tiananmen Square protests of 1989, also known as the June Fourth Incident in Chinese , were a series of demonstrations in and near Tiananmen Square in Beijing in the People's Republic of China beginning on 15 April 1989...
.
All three men were held at Lingling Prison in Dong'an county, Hunan
Hunan
' is a province of South-Central China, located to the south of the middle reaches of the Yangtze River and south of Lake Dongting...
, one of China's many "Labor Camps
Laogai
Laogai , the abbreviation for Láodòng Gǎizào , which means "reform through labor," is a slogan of the Chinese criminal justice system and has been used to refer to the use of prison labor and prison farms in the People's Republic of China . It is estimated that in the last fifty years more than...
." During their time at this prison, news reports appeared saying that the three men had been treated brutally after making "reactionary statements." Lu Decheng was freed in 1999 after 10 years. Yu Zhijian was freed in 2000 after 11 years.
Yu Dongyue was later transferred to Chishan Prison in Yuanjiang
Yuanjiang, Hunan
Yuanjiang City is a county-level city of Yiyang, Hunan province, in China....
city, Hunan
Hunan
' is a province of South-Central China, located to the south of the middle reaches of the Yangtze River and south of Lake Dongting...
, formerly known as Provincial No. 1 Prison and another of the "Labor Camps
Laogai
Laogai , the abbreviation for Láodòng Gǎizào , which means "reform through labor," is a slogan of the Chinese criminal justice system and has been used to refer to the use of prison labor and prison farms in the People's Republic of China . It is estimated that in the last fifty years more than...
." After their release, Lu Decheng and Yu Zhijian reported that Yu Dongyue appeared injured and mentally disturbed. They repeatedly petitioned for his release on medical grounds. Reportedly, Yu Dongyue was uncooperative in the views of prison officials. There have been several reports that he was tortured and held for at least two years in solitary confinement.
In 2001 Yu Dongyue's sentence was reduced by two years, and in 2005 it was reduced by another 15 months. Scheduled for release on February 26, 2006, he was freed four days earlier. According to statements around the time of his release from his younger brother, Yu Xiyue, while in prison Yu Dongyue appeared deranged and no longer recognized members of his family or his former friends.
Yu Dongyue was not forgotten while in prison. In 2005 the Wei Jingsheng Foundation, established in honor of a well known Democracy Wall
Democracy Wall
The Democracy Wall was a long brick wall on Xidan Street, Xicheng District, Beijing, which became the focus for democratic dissent. Beginning in December 1978, in line with the Communist Party of China's policy of "seeking truth from facts," activists in the Democracy movement—such as Xu...
activist now living in the United States, awarded Yu Dongyue one of its three prizes of the year for promotion of democracy in China
Chinese democracy movement
The Chinese democracy movement refers to a series of loosely organized political movements in the People's Republic of China against the continued one-party rule by the Communist Party. One such movement began during the Beijing Spring in 1978 and was taken up again in the Tiananmen Square...
.
Political asylum in the United States
In May 2009, Yu, along with Yu Zhijian, were granted political asylumRight of asylum
Right of asylum is an ancient juridical notion, under which a person persecuted for political opinions or religious beliefs in his or her own country may be protected by another sovereign authority, a foreign country, or church sanctuaries...
in the United States after fleeing to Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
.